20 Examples of “They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To”
Things used to be much better when products were made to last. Now everything is built to break and nothing lasts forever. They craft products with cheap plastic and force you to buy a new phone every 2 years when the software malfunctions.
Over at r/AskReddit, they discussed some products that are not made like it was back when things lasted.
1.
Honeycomb cereal. The pieces were big, puffy and delicious, with the occasional flat, overly crunchy, sad piece. Now every piece is the sad piece. u/Bumpass
2.
Levis. I had a pair for years as a teenager. Bought a pair in 2020 and within 6 months they had fraying and then holes in the seams. Clothes in general seem like they're getting worse no matter how much you pay for them. u/Lordy(HopeThereIsPie
4.
Planters Cheeze Balls I was so excited when I saw them at the store a few years ago, but they are not even close to the same. I was told that the difference is trans-fat-elimination. u/mkicon
6.
Up to 1981, my great grandmother had a refrigerator that they had gotten when home fridges were new.. It had that big round compressor on top, and it worked for god knows how long. I just had to replace mine in a home that was built for us 7 years ago.... u/Leftstrat
7.
Clothes. I work in a museum and the material and work and care and longevity of clothes is fascinating from the past and the modern standard is insanely appalling. u/ta_bfamessmario
8.
Pinesol changed its formula in 2014, knocking out the key ingredient, pine oil. Sigh. u/Greg_Strine
9.
Children's toys. When my daughter was little, I was floored by the flimsy cheap plastic parts, compared to my solid and sturdy toys (many still in great condition) from the late 80's/early 90's. u/YourMothersButtox
10.
Electronics. Everything now is designed to break and be unfixable. Back in the day if you bought, I don't know, a TV set, it would literally come with schematics laying out the circuitry so you could go in and fix it yourself if you knew what you were doing. Same with cars to an extent.
11.
Candy bars, the king size was actually a big hunk of chocolate, now it's a share size and smaller than it used to be and costs twice as much. u/teethalarm
12.
Kitchenaid mixers. My grandma was gifted on her wedding day and she's used it religiously without any issue. My sister was gifted one on her wedding day and it lasted a year. u/Waffle_Maestro
13.
I refused to spend $350 on the Technivorm coffeemaker that my brother raves about. It was simply too expensive. Instead, I bought the $100 Cuisinart one, which failed after a year. I wound up buying 4 of them (each one failed after a year) before realizing how stupid I was being. I’ve had the Technivorm one now going on 7 years and it continues to work perfectly. It’s also made by European workers who make a living wage. u/Edward_the_Dog
14.
Video games. You used to get the FULL game, a game manual, and maybe a character poster. Now you can forget the manual, and you don't even get the full game, as some of it is released later as DLC (downloadable content) and is rarely free. u/Plus-Statistician80
15.
Soda bottle cap promotions. I would go into a gas station and it seemed like I would win a free soda at least half the time when I bought one. Then they moved on to codes under the caps that had to be redeemed, and everything went downhill. u/AdevilSboyU
16.
I like sewing. I still have a working 1920 sewing machine that Just keeps going and going when more modern ones already broke down, kinda like the duracell rabbit. u/Stacie_Sophia199
17.
I used an HP printer at one job that could take a beating. I remember having to use it for a week straight, 8 hours a day. It never jammed, never overheated, never broke down. They don't make printers like that anymore. u/Fuhgetabout
18.
Craftsman hand tools; EG Sockets, ratchets, screwdrivers. Used to be made in the US with an unlimited warranty. I still have some from back in the 70s/80s that are rock solid. Then around 2000 they started to shift the manufacturing overseas... then it just started the decline. Now they're junk and I'd rather have Husky/Kobalt/HF sockets/ratchets/wrenches. Or you gotta setup up to professional grade. u/PsychoEngineer
19.
Streaming services, before whatever wasn't on Netflix was on Hulu and it cost like 15-20 bucks to have both and now everyone and their mama has a streaming service now and each one is like $20 and only has like 3 good shows. u/iamhonkykong
20.
Record players. The technics sl-1200 is still top of the line. The design goes back to 1972 and in spite of an influx of competitors over the years, it is still the industry standard for pro DJs working with vinyl. u/VT_Squire
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